Escaping the flames. Tightening the grip. Delivering the justice. It’s Friday, and here are the five things you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door.
Canada wildfire
Sometime today, a convoy of about 400 vehicles will roll south through the charred streets of Fort McMurray as the great escape from the massive wildfire continues. There’s no rain in the forecast, but the winds won’t be as strong — a slight improvement firefighters will be thankful for. Escapees are hunkering down in Edmonton, Calgary and other cities in Alberta. And oeople across Canada — including recently-arrived Syrian refugees — are pitching in to help in ways big and small. Here’s a quick skim of what we know about the fire.
North Korea
Welcome to the 7th Congress of Workers’ Party (aka Kim Jong Un’s power consolidation conference). The North hasn’t held this big political event since 1980. About 3,000 members (of the only political party that matters in the North) will attend. The agenda’s a little murky, but Kim says he’ll lay out a “blueprint” for “final victory,” whatever that means. They’ll be parades, pronouncements, maybe nuclear test #5. Whatever happens, experts agree Kim will use the meeting to tighten his already iron grip on the country.
Grim Sleeper
The death penalty or life in prison? That’s the choice jurors will make after they found the man known as “The Grim Sleeper” guilty of killing 10 people. That makes Lonnie David Franklin Jr. one of the most prolific serial killers in history. Franklin is a one-time garbage truck driver and LAPD garage attendant. The slayings date back to the 1980s, but it was a DNA hit from a pizza crust that finally led to his arrest in 2010.
London elections
We’ll know early today if London makes history by electing the first Muslim mayor of any major Western city. The race between Labour candidate Sadiq Khan and the Conservative’s Zac Goldsmith has been anything but cordial. Goldsmith is the son of a billionaire who’s been accused of running a “vile race politics” campaign. Khan is the son of of a bus driver who went on to chair a civil liberties group.
E-cigarettes
Sorry, e-cigarette fans. Your days of unregulated freedom are over. That’s because yesterday the government changed the rule on tobacco regulation. The change broadens the definition of tobacco products to include e-cigarettes, hookahs, pipe tobacco, premium cigars, little cigars and other products. Now those products can’t be sold to people under 18, must come in child-resistant packaging and will have what goes into them scrutinized by the government.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
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With friends like these
How’s Donald Trump’s party unification bid going? Not swimmingly, after House Speaker Paul Ryan said he’s “not ready” quite yet to back The Donald. Ouch.
Real patriotic
The New England Patriots may be in the market for a new long snapper. Joe Cardona might have to leave the team to fulfill his Navy commitments.
Double luck
When you’re battling breast cancer, winning the lottery (twice) won’t fix everything, but it will definitely put a smile on your face during a trying time.
Syria song
Surreal. How else can you describe yesterday’s concert by a Russian orchestra among the ruins of Palmyra, territory up until recently controlled by ISIS.
Bolt boss
The world has a new lightning champion! (Didn’t know there was an old one.) The winner is Venezuela’s Lake Maracaibo, which gets the most bolts on Earth.
Number of the day
$5 million
The damages comedian Arsenio Hall seeks after he sued singer Sinead O’Connor. O’Connor said on Facebook that Hall supplied Prince with drugs “over the decades.” Hall isn’t amused.
AND FINALLY …
Coolest carpool
“Late Late Show” host James Corden does Carpool Karaoke with Gwen Stefani (and a couple of special friends) and sings “Don’t Speak.” Perfect!
